Machine for trimming the overflow from molded articles.



, L2@5,l 2U. Patented Nov. 14,

F. L. VALPEY.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE OVERFLOW FROM MOLDED ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24,1914- 2 SHEETS-SHEET Wiinessesyk F Idn\/Len\f/twi re ey,

- F. L. VALPEY. MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE OVERFLOW FRO M MOLDED ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. IBM.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mmmmmmmmmmm MM: 35

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

tin TTnn eTATEs PATENT oTTToT.

FRED L. VALPEY, or SwAi/irsoorr, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. VALPEY, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Trimming the Overflow from Molded Rubber Articles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawmg, 1s a specification, like characters on the drawing representing I like parts.

In the processof molding articles from rubber, it is customary to fill the mold slightly beyond its capacity in order to get a perfect article, and as a result when the mold is closed the surplus rubber is squeezed out through the cracks in the mold and forms a Web or fin, te'rmed in the trade the overflow. The presence of such overflow on the article when it comes from the mold necessitates the operation of removing the overflow before the article is ready for sale. Heretofore, this operation of cutting off the overflow from the molded article has always been done by hand, which of necessity is a tedious and laborious process.

It is. the object of my invention to provide a novel machine which is simple in construction and easily operated and by which this overflow can be quickly and accurately cut from the molded article thereby dispensing with the hand labor for this operation.

My invention is applicable to theremov- 7 ing of the overflow from any article molded of rubber, and in order to illustrate the invention and give a proper understanding thereof I have chosen to show it as it would be used in removing the overflow from molded rubber heels. I wish to state, however, that the invention is not confined in its use to the trimming of rubber heels.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure I is a view of a machine adapted for removin the overflow from rubber heels; Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of a multiple or gang holder and cutting element; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 00-11;,

Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional" view showing the operation of cutting the overflow; Fig. -5 is .a perspective view of a heel having an ove ow on one edge prior to its being cut; Fig. 6 shows the trimmed heel: Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a heelejecting device which may be used to eject the trimmed heels from the holder; Fig. 8

Specification of Letters .Patent.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE OVERFLOW FROM MOLDED ARTICLES.

is a view of a gang holder and cutting element having a different construction from that shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the holder shown in Fig. 8 showing the knives open or spread; Fig. 10 is an edge view of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a view showing an adjustable knife and holder that may be employed; Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views showing a knifeconstruction adapted for trimming the overflow on the smaller end of a heel; Fig. 14 Shows the knife used in Figs. 12 and 13.

As stated above, in the manufacture of molded articles from rubber it is customary to place in the 'mold a little more rubber than is necessary to make the article, and as-- Patented Nov. 141, 1916.

' Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,461.

a result when the mold is closed to give the.

mass of rubber therein the desired shape the surplus rubber is forced out through'some-fl of the cracks in the mold between the walls and the cover thereof, so that when the article is removed from the mold the portion of the rubber which has overflowed is in the form of a thin flange extending from the rubber article and is termed in the trade the overflow. For instance, in the manufacture of a molded rubber heel, such as shown at 1, the overflow presents a thin flange 2 extending laterally from the heel at its circumference (see Fig. 5), and which requires to be trimmed off before the heel is ready for use, as shown in Fig. 6.

My invention aims to provide a machine for thus trimming off the overflow by means of which the heels or other articles can be rapidly and satisfactorily trimmed. I accomplish this object herein by providing a holder or gage of the proper shape and size to receive the article to be trimmed (which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is a heel), a trimming knife having the shape and contour of said article, and a cutting bed, the parts being so arranged and having such a relative movement that when the article is placed in the holder, the knife cooperates with the holder and cutting bed to trim the overflow at one operation.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I provide amachine '3 having a cutting bed 4 and I also provide a combined holder and cutting knife 5 which is adapted to receive the article to be trimmed, said combined holder and cutting knife and cutting bed having a relative movement tomember a short distance and is formed to" shown, the cutting bed is stationary, and the combined holder and cutting knife is mounted on a movable portion 6 capable of having movement toward and from the cutting bed. This movable portion is herein shown as pivoted to the bedat 7, and any suitable means, such, for instance, as a connecting rod 8 and crank 9, is provided for moving the part 6 toward and from the bed. The combined holder and cutting knife is in the form of a body member 10 having an aperture therein of a size and shape to fit the article to be trimmed, which in the present embodiment of the invention is a heel. This aperture islined with a lining 5, the edge 12 of which projects beyond the body present a cutting edge. The body 10 is preferably removably sustained on the mo able portion 6 so that said body can be removed and another one having a cutting knife of the same or of a different size or contour substituted. The member 10 may be secured to the movable portion 6 in any suitable way.

the overflow 2 thereon is placed Within the lining 5 of the holder in such a way that the bodv of the heel sets within the lining, while the overflow portion overlies the cutting edge 12, as seen in Fig. 4. After the heel is thus placed the machine is operated to bring the movable member 6 up against the cuttingbed' t, and during this operation the overflow is severed from the heel body. When thepart 6 returns to its position shown in Fig. 1, the combined holder and cutting member may be removed with the trimmed heel therein and another member placed in position with anuntrimmed heel therein, and by properly timing the operation of the machine, this transfer may be effected without stopping the machine. Or if desired the trimmed heel may be removed from the cutting knife and an untrimmed heel placed in position without removing the part 10 from the machine. In order to facilitate the cutting operation I may if desired make the member 10 with a plurality of cutting knives therein so that at each operation of the machine a plurality of heels will be trimmed. Where this construc. tion is provided I propose to make the part 10 capableof easy removal from the ma chine so that after each operation said-member 10 can be removed from the machine with the plurality of trimmed heels therein and another member immediately placed in. the machine'the cutting knives of. which have been filled with untrimmed heels.

The cutting bed-t will preferably 'be in the form of a is backed by other material so that when cardboard, paper, cloth, or 30 which will yield slightly during the operation of the In the operation of the device a heel with -to the body of the heel atthe overflow occurs, and if plate of sheet metal 11 which machine the cutting edges 12 are pressed against the bed with suflicient pressure to cut the overflow, said bed will; yield if necesisdesirable. Where the part 10 is remov able, as shown herein, I may employ a heelremovin'g device by which'all the heels can be removed simultaneously from the gang or multiple holding member. This heel-removing device is herein shown in'the form of a board or plate17 having heel-ejecting members 18 extending therefrom and having the same relation to each other as the holding members of the body 10. These ejecting members are shown as having a general contour of the heel, but of smaller dimension, and the front face thereof is inclined slightly so that the portion 20 thereof corresponding to the back or rounded end of the heel projects farther from the board than the portioncorrespond'ing to the breast of the heel. For ejecting the trimmed heels from the part 10, the operator removes said part from the machine and then places one edge of the holder 10 under the lip 40 of the member 17 and then moves the holder 10 down toward the member 17, soas to cause the ejectors 18 to enter the openings in the holder and eject the heels therefrom. I The lip 40 serves as a guide for the member 10. In the manufacture of heels it is customary to mold the heel with a slight taper, that is, the bottom end of the heel has a slightly less diameter than the top edge, Sometimes the overflow occurs on one edge.

-of the' heel, sometimes ,on the other and case the heel is so constructed that the overflow is on the smaller end of the heel, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the operation of; trimming the overflow ismore difficult, for in order to trim the overflow the cutting edge of the knife must be closely adjacent the edge where the overflow is on the small end of the heel, then this necessitates compressing the body or larger end of the heel sufficiently to introduce it into .the cutting member 5; In order to provide for cutting a heel where the overflow is on i the smaller end I propose to use an expantion of readily receiving the large end of.

other.

the heel and then of being contracted so as to bring the cutting edge closely adjacent the small edge of the heel adjacent the overflow. One form of expansible knife is shown in Figs. 8 and!) wherein each knife is made in two parts adapted to move toward and from each other. As illustrated in Fig. 4 the holding member 10 is divided along the lines 21 into a plurality of sections, said division .line extending through the rows of cutting knives so that each cutting knife is formed in two parts 5. I preferably provide automatically-acting means to expand the knives and means to close the knives together after the heels have been inserted. The automatically-operated means are in the form of springs 22 received in recesses 23 formed in the sections of the holder 10, said springs tending normally to separate the sections slightly from each 24 are rods extending transversely through the sections and by which they are clamped together, said rods preferably extending through the springs 22 and having cam-clamping levers 53 pivoted to the ends thereof, each lever having a cam portion adapted to bear against the edge of the holding member 10, the free ends of the levers being connected by'the link 54. When the levers 53 are thrown into the dotted line position (Fig. 8), the clamping pressure is relieved and the springs 22 automatically separatethe sectionsof the holder 10, asshown in Fig. 9, thus spreading or expanding the cutting knives. The heels may then be inserted into the expanded knives, as shown in Fig. 12,.and after the forms are all filled the knives are contracted by swinging the levers 53 into the full line position thereby compressing the large end of each heel and bringing the cutting edges of the knives close against theside of the heel adjacent the overflow 2. When the heels have been trimmed the pressure is relieved by swinging the cam levers into the dotted line position Fig. 8, thus allowing the heels to be readily removed.

In Fig. 111 have shown another form of expansible knife in which the U-shaped portion of the knife is made-of spring metal which is separate from the portion 26 that trims the breast of the heel. In this embodiment the 'U-shaped portion 28 of the knife is made normally of a shape slightly the walls 0 the opening 2 smaller than the opening 27 in the wooden member 10, and said knife is secured in place by a screw or fastening 29 at its central portion. Normally the sides of the knife sprin inwardly slig7 tly away from but because of the resiliency of the knife the sides can be sprung apart to receive. the large end of a heel.

In Figs. 12, 13 and 14 I have shown a different embodiment of the invention wherein the U-- shaped portion 28 of the knife is slitted, as at 31, thereby forming a plurality of separate sections. This type of knife is intended to be used with the sec-- tional member 10, as shown in Fig.8, except that the knife itself is not split in line with the division of the openings 21. In-

stead the knife is anchored to a base piece bers 33 have inclined walls 34 adapted to engage the knife 28. When the members 33 are separated, as shown in Fig. 12, the knife 28 stands vertically and can readily receive the large end of a heel, as shown in Fig. 1. After the heel has been inserted the members 33 are, clamped together in any suitable manner and the engagement of the inclined faces 34 against the knife 28 contracts the cutting edge of the knife, as shown in Fig. 13, thus bringing it firmly against the inclined side of the heel andin position to sever the overflow 2 without leaving any ridge. I will preferably employ a block 35 within the knife at the back thereof to prevent the back of the knife from contracting whereby the knife will be giventhe inclined shape shown. This inclined shape is made possible bylniving the knife slitted, asat 31, in Fig. 14, the slits providingfor contracting the cutting edge of the knife without contracting the back side thereof.

In case a heel has an overflow on both edges, then I propose to trim the heel on the larger end first which can be readily done by inserting the heel into the cutting member, as shown in Fig. 5, for the overflow up at the side of the heel without interfering with the insertion of the heel into the knife. After the overflow at the large end of the heel has been cut, then the heel can be removed from the knife and placed into an expansible knife, as illustrated in Figs. 8 to 14, to have the overflow on the smaller end cut.

In the manufacture of heels it often happens that the individual heels of a lot of heels of the same size may vary somewhat in actual size, and where this is the condition my improved expansible knife has the advantage that it will accommodate heels of the same size that vary somewhat in actual dimensions for the expansible knives can be opened up and heels readily dropped into place, even though they vary somewhat from each other as to theiractual size.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for trimming the overto be trimmed, the edges of flow from molded articles, the combination with an article-holding member presenting a recess to receive the article to be trimmed and having a projecting cutting edge surrounding said recess ticle to be trimmed is placed in the recess the overflow will overhe the cutting edge and will be trimmed by the movement of said movable bed.

3. In a machine for trimming the overflow from molded articles, the combination with an article-holding member presenting a wall adapted to encircle the sides ofthe article tobe trimmed, the edge of the wall against which the portion of the article, to e trimmed rests when the article is in said holding member constituting a cutting edge,

member toward the cutting said wall being made in sections movable relative to each other thereby to permit said member to be expanded V ting bed, and means to move the holder and bed relative to each other. 4.;In a machine for trimming the overflow from articles molded of 'rubber, the

combination with aframehaving a cutting A, bed, of a movable member capable of movement toward and from said bed, means to whereby when the aror contracted, a cut-' give said member its movement, a holding member removably secured to-the movable member and provided with a plurality of openings to receive articles to be trimmed, and a cutting knife situated in each opening and projecting beyond the body of the holding member. i

5. In a machine for trimming the overflow from molded articles, the combination with a holding member provided with an open recess of a shape to receive the article to be molded, the wall of said recess presenting a cutting edge at the open side of the recess whereby when the article to be trimmed is placed in the recess the overflow portion thereof will overlie the cutting edge, of a cutting bed, and means to move said holding member and cutting bed relative to each other.

6. In a machine for tring the overfiow from molded articles, the combination with a holding member provided with an open recess of a shape to receive the article to be molded, the wall of said recess being made in sections movable relative to each other to permit the recess to be expanded or contracted and also presenting a cutting edge at the open side of the recess whereby when the article to betrimmed is placed in the recess the overflow portion thereof will overlie the cutting edge, of

other. In testimony whereof, I have signed my Y name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED L. VALPEY.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, 'THoMAs J. DRUMMOND.

a cutting bed, and means to move said holding member and cutting bed relative to each 

